Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Thursday, April 4, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas.
Today, We’ve got a lineup of stories that touch on politics, legal battles, public health, and election law. Stay with us as we dive into these topics, bringing you the facts and developments you need to stay informed.
Dershowitz Cites ‘Overwhelming’ Evidence Against Fani Willis, Calls for Criminal Investigation
Retired Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz has called for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to be put on trial for alleged perjury, conspiracy to commit perjury, and witness tampering. Mr. Dershowitz said that there is “overwhelming” evidence to support these charges, including technical scientific evidence and witnesses.Other analysts have made similar claims, accusing Ms. Willis of perjury and tampering with witnesses. They said that Ms. Willis perjured herself during statements she made in court last month, when she claimed her relationship with former Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade didn’t begin until after his appointment to the case against former President Donald Trump.
Ms. Willis is currently leading the criminal case against former President Trump and several other co-defendants, who have been charged with attempting to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Fulton County.
The former president has pleaded not guilty, saying that he was calling for a proper audit of the results of which he would respect the outcome, and calling the case an underhanded attempt to thwart his 2024 comeback bid.
In January, a co-defendant accused Ms. Willis and former Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade of being in a secret relationship that profited them both. However, Ms. Willis and Mr. Wade denied any financial benefit and claimed their relationship started after Mr. Wade became special prosecutor.
Mr. Dershowitz has previously pointed to a lack of records to back Ms. Willis’s claims of her paying her own fare when dating Mr. Wade as a possible indication of lying. Ms. Willis says she used cash to repay him.
Witnesses, including a former friend of Ms. Willis, have testified to seeing her and Mr. Wade together before Mr. Wade’s appointment. Cell phone location data and testimony from other prosecutors also suggest a relationship between the pair before Mr. Wade’s appointment. While Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled that there was not enough evidence to prove financial benefit, he did describe their relationship as a “tremendous lapse in judgment.”
President Trump and his co-defendants have appealed Judge McAfee’s decision not to disqualify Ms. Willis, arguing that there is “damning evidence” of impropriety.
Mr. Dershowitz supports their appeal and believes that Ms. Willis should be disqualified and also face a criminal investigation.
He said in an interview with Newsmax on Tuesday: “We have to have an independent prosecutor of some kind looking into what is an open and shut case of perjury.”
Ms. Willis has denied any wrongdoing. She told CNN in a recent interview that she is “not embarrassed by anything” she’s done and stressed she did not do “anything that’s illegal.” She also said that her office has continued to work on the case throughout the disqualification hearings, calling the various allegations against her a delay tactic.
Trump’s Surprise Nebraska Boost for 2024
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has expressed support for legislation that would support a “winner-takes-all” system. If passed, the law would likely boost former President Trump, as President Biden could lose one electoral vote that, in 2020, came from the congressional district centered around the state’s largest city of Omaha.Nebraska and Maine are the only two states in the United States that currently assign Electoral College votes by district.
However, if Nebraska switched to the more widely-used standard, the state’s three electoral votes would likely all go to President Trump, who easily won in the state by large margins in 2016 and 2020.
In January, legislators introduced a bill to use the standard, winner-take-all system. Mr. Pillen, a Republican, endorsed the bill on social media on Tuesday, saying that it would align Nebraska with 48 other states and ensure a unified voice in presidential elections.
His endorsement was backed by former President Trump, who called it “very smart.”
In 2020, although President Joe Biden won Nebraska’s Omaha-based congressional district, giving him one electoral vote, President Trump carried the rest of the state with nearly 60 percent of the vote.
Some analysts said on social media that if the bill becomes law, it could pose a problem for President Biden as he would not have a clear path to the 270 electoral votes he needs to win the presidency.
Politico analyst Jonathan Lemire wrote on X that, if President Biden can’t get the one electoral vote from the Omaha region, he would likely lose all six swing states except for Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
A poll released by Wall Street Journal shows that President Trump is leading Biden in the six swing states. It also shows that President Trump was viewed as having the better physical and mental fitness for the job by 48 percent of respondents, compared to 28 percent for President Biden.
Judge Hit With Ethics Complaint After CNN Appearance
A complaint has been filed against U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton, who appeared on cable television to criticize President Trump.The complaint, lodged on April 2, describes Judge Walton’s comments as “clearly inappropriate, defamatory, highly prejudicial, and outrageous.”
Judge Walton went on CNN after President Trump criticized a New York judge and his daughter. The judge’s comments were hyperbolic, according to the complaint.
CNN described the judge’s remarks as an “extraordinary rebuke” of President Trump.
The complaint argues that a criminal defendant expressing concerns about the political activities of their judge’s daughter should not be construed as a “threat” or “incitement of violence.”
The complaint alleges that Judge Walton’s remarks were highly prejudicial to President Trump, and could affect his upcoming trials in various locations. One of the locations is in Washington, where Judge Walton is based.
It also accuses Judge Walton of violating the code of conduct for federal judges, which states that judges should not comment publicly on pending court matters.
It’s unusual for a federal judge to make comments outside of courtrooms or court filings.
The complaint was filed by The Article III Project, founded by lawyer Mike Davis. Mr. Davis previously served as a lawyer for Sen. Chuck Grassley in the U.S. Department of Justice and as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.
The complaint was addressed to Sri Srinivasan, chief judge for the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Each circuit has a council empowered to issue orders to judicial officers and employees in the circuit.
The complaint calls for immediate action against Judge Walton.
If the council does not act, then Congress should, according to the complaint.
Calls for impeachment have also been made but no formal action has been taken.
Judge Walton’s chambers did not comment on the matter.
Judge Rules New Mexico Violated Federal Law by Restricting Access to Voter Data
Albuquerque-based U.S. District Court Judge James Browning has ruled that New Mexico officials violated the National Voter Registration Act by refusing to provide voter data to the Voter Reference Foundation.The court documents named New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver and Attorney General Raul Torrez as the defendants.
The ruling states that the conservative-backed foundation created a searchable online database that includes various voter information. The group said that voter information is required to “provide public access to official government data pertaining to elections.”
New Mexico election law restricts the use of voter data for political campaigning and noncommercial government purposes. However, Judge Browning ruled that this ban severely limits public access to voter data and violates federal disclosure requirements.
The court also stated that the foundation is entitled to having its attorney’s fees and other expenses reimbursed.
The New Mexico secretary of state’s office plans to appeal the order.
The ruling is considered a win for election transparency by the Republican National Lawyers Association.
The Voter Reference database includes information from 32 states and the District of Columbia. The foundation obtained New Mexico voter rolls through a vendor and first posted the records online in 2021. This led to a referral for potential prosecution by New Mexico officials. The foundation then took the information offline and sued the state.
The ruling builds on a previous federal court ruling that Maine must release its voter list to another group that was conducting independent audits.
CDC Releases Hidden COVID-19 Vaccine Injury Reports
The CDC recently released previously hidden reports of suspected adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination.These reports, totaling 780,000, reveal a variety of problems experienced by individuals after receiving the vaccines, such as heart inflammation, miscarriages, seizures, and facial paralysis.
People submitted these reports through V-safe, a text-message system created by the CDC to monitor instances of suspected vaccine side effects. Despite knowing the possibility of adverse events, the CDC had previously kept this data confidential, opting instead to publish studies that portrayed confidence that the experimental shots were safe.
However, data released in 2022 shows that nearly 8 percent of the 10 million users required medical attention or hospital care after vaccination.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, appointed by former President Donald Trump, ordered the release of that data. He also ordered CDC in January to disclose these reports of individuals describing their experiences. He dismissed the government’s arguments that processing the responses and redacting sensitive information would require too much work.
The reports also highlight numerous cases of heart inflammation, facial paralysis, and other issues, along with reports of tinnitus and suicidal thoughts. Individuals expressed concerns about allergic reactions and criticized the CDC for not disclosing such risks.
The CDC became aware of the vaccine’s potential to cause heart inflammation early in 2021 but did not make this knowledge public. This data was made available as a result of litigation brought by the Informed Consent Action Network, a nonprofit organization. The group is seeking the release of additional reports.
The CDC spokesperson acknowledged that information from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System helped identify vaccine-related problems, including myocarditis.
That’s our final story on today’s edition of News Brief, but before we sign off, we want to pause to remember a key moment in American history.
The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. happened on this date in 1968.
Just after 6 P.M. on Thursday, 4 April 1968, Martin Luther King was shot dead while standing on a balcony outside his second-floor room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. News of King’s assassination prompted major outbreaks of racial violence, resulting in more than 40 deaths nationwide and extensive property damage in over 100 American cities. James Earl Ray, a 40-year-old escaped fugitive, later confessed to the crime and was sentenced to a 99-year prison term.
During King’s funeral a tape recording was played in which King spoke of how he wanted to be remembered after his death: “I’d like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others.” He was just 39 years old.
On an upbeat note, we’d like to celebrate you if today is your birthday. And here are some big stars you’ll be opening presents with:
Actor Craig T. Nelson, who starred in Poltergeist and the TV show Coach, is 80.
Actor Robert Downey Junior, born on this day in 1965, is 59. His films as a leading actor have grossed over $14 billion worldwide.
And this guy’s called an illusionist & magician; David Blaine is 51 years old today.
Finally this morning, if you enjoy The Epoch Times “News Brief,” please let us know by sending over an email. We’re at [email protected], that’s [email protected]. We always welcome your thoughts and comments.
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